Winter Kashmir · Christmas & New Year
Houseboat · Gulmarg · Pahalgam · Srinagar
- Pickup
- Srinagar
- Drop
- Srinagar
- Next departures
- 23 Dec · 28 Dec
What you are signing up for
Swap the usual Christmas and New Year plans for snow in Kashmir. Sleep on a houseboat on Dal Lake, ride the Gulmarg Gondola, stop at Drung Waterfall on the way to Pahalgam for the Aru and Betaab valleys, then spend a day by the glaciers of Sonmarg. We sort the stays, the shikara, permits and every drive. You just pack and show up.
Highlights
- A night on a houseboat
- Shikara ride
- Gulmarg Gondola
- Aru and Betaab valleys
- A party by the fire
- A Trip Captain, start to end
All 6 days
Srinagar— 1 night
Part One · Srinagar & Gulmarg
Meet your Trip Captain in Srinagar in the early afternoon and check in to your houseboat.
Visit the Mughal Gardens: Shalimar Bagh, Nishat Bagh and Chashme Shahi.
An hour-long shikara ride on Dal Lake, then dinner on the houseboat.
Drive to Gulmarg
Gulmarg— 1 night
Part One · Srinagar & Gulmarg
Breakfast, then a two-hour drive up to Gulmarg.
Ride the Gulmarg Gondola for snowy views; skiing, sledging and snowmobiles are at your own cost.
Check in, warm up and have dinner at the hotel.
Drive to Pahalgam
Pahalgam— 1 night
Part Two · Pahalgam
Breakfast, then check out and head for Pahalgam.
Stop at Drung Waterfall, which often freezes in winter.
Drive on through Pampore and Awantipora to Pahalgam for dinner and the night.
Drive to Srinagar
Srinagar— 2 nights
Part Two · Pahalgam
Explore Aru Valley's meadows and Betaab Valley's clear streams, with snow all around.
Go on to Chandanwari, weather permitting (pony rides at your own cost).
Drive back to Srinagar for dinner and the night.
A three-hour drive along the Sindh river to Sonmarg.
Free time to explore, or a pony ride to Thajiwas Glacier (at your own cost).
Back to Srinagar for the Christmas or New Year party: snacks, music, cake and a bonfire (weather permitting).
Breakfast and check out.
Head to Srinagar airport for your flight home.
Fly home with a tin of kahwa in your bag.
5 nights, town by town
Srinagar
Houseboat
1 night
Gulmarg
Hotel, twin sharing
Pahalgam
Hotel, twin sharing
Srinagar
Hotel, twin sharing
What is and is not included
Included
- Christmas / New Year party with snacks, music, cake and a bonfire (weather permitting)
- Tempo Traveller for sightseeing
- 5 nights: houseboat 1, Gulmarg 1, Pahalgam 1, Srinagar hotel 2
- 10 meals: dinner Day 1, breakfast & dinner Days 2-5, breakfast Day 6
- One-hour shikara ride
- Gulmarg Gondola phase 1 tickets (subject to availability)
- Local cabs for Aru, Betaab, Chandanwari and Drung Waterfall
- A chained cab in Gulmarg if heavy snow needs one
- Trip Captain throughout, plus a medical kit
- Permits, driver charges, tolls, fuel and parking
Not included
- 5% GST
- Flights to and from Srinagar
- Food and drinks not listed
- Skiing, sledging, snowmobiles, ATVs and pony rides
- Personal expenses and shopping
- Costs from weather, road closures or other events beyond our control
Other information
Built for solo travellers after a crew, friends who hate planning, and couples who'd rather not hold the itinerary.
Pack this
- A heavy jacket, thermals, gloves and snow boots
- Comfortable shoes with grip
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- A government photo ID
- A postpaid SIM (prepaid SIMs from other states don't work here)
- Cash for ponies and small shops
Sort this before you fly
- Reach Srinagar by early afternoon on Day 1.
- Gondola tickets depend on availability; if none are left, we refund them.
- Weather can close Sonmarg or Chandanwari; we swap in the best alternative.
Plans can move Weather, roads and closures can change a day. We carry an alternative for each one rather than cancelling it.
What to eat in Kashmir
Rogan josh
Mutton curry.
Gushtaba
Meatballs in yogurt.
Modur pulao
Sweet saffron rice.
Kahwa
Saffron green tea.
Dum aloo
Spicy potato curry.
When to go
Every town on this route has its own weather. Pick a month to see the real numbers for each one.
Dec on this route
Kashmir averages 7° by day and -4° after dark, with rain on 7 days of the month.
Typical conditions, not a forecast — weather models only run about a fortnight ahead. Daily records averaged per calendar month (Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis). Temperature bars scaled 15 °C to 35 °C, rain bars to 30 days.
Real stories, real escapes.
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Was deciding between two operators and picked this for the itinerary. No regrets. The pace was honest — a couple of early starts, and they told us in advance rather than springing them. Would do it again with the same crew.
Kunal Rao, Kolkata
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Booked this one fairly late and still got a seat on the December batch. Stays were simple rather than fancy, clean, and always where they said they would be. Tell your friends to go before it gets busy.
Arjun Malhotra, Indore
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The route sold it — Houseboat, Gulmarg, Pahalgam in 6 days without me planning a thing. Food stops were picked by someone who actually eats there, not off a list. Would do it again with the same crew.
Arjun Ghosh, Kolkata
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Travelled solo and never once felt like the odd one out. Transfers and check-ins were sorted before we arrived anywhere, which I had not expected at this price. Already looking at their Vietnam · Da Nang, Phu Quoc & Hanoi trip.
Meera Shah, Nagpur
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Paid, packed, turned up. That was genuinely the whole job. Sonmarg day trip came around just as the group had hit its stride, which was annoying in the best way. Only note: carry more cash than you think you need.
Lakshmi Thakur, Gurugram
Not sure it is your group?
Tell us who is coming and when you are free. We will say honestly whether this departure fits, or build a private one that does.
Chat on WhatsAppOne message. A person replies, usually within the hour.